Yes, something is fishy, and this year it's the summer weather that's stinks. Actually it's pretty close to being ok to wear a hat. I knitted one. This one is knitted in Sandnes alpaca using the pattern Fishy Faye. I used needles 3,5. I haven't decided if I'm going to keep it or give it away.

Yes, I wonder if fall has come already. It feels like we skipped summer this year. It was spring, then we waited for summer, waited a bit more and even more waiting and now fall has arrived. I don't bother waiting for summer any longer, and I just enjoy some days off work and spend it inside reading books and knitting. I finished a pair of long stocking for my daughter. I used needles 3,5 mm and the yarn is Sandnes alpaca strømpegarn. It's an ok yarn to use, but the stockings fit perfect. I also whined up a skein of Ella Rae Lace Merino, but I haven't decided what shawl I'll knit from it yet.

Yesterday was a nice summer day, one of the few this year. I spent it walking along Akerselva. I started the walk where the river starts at Maridalsvannet and walked all the way down to Sørenga. Along the river I had a knitting break in the sun. It's completely ok to be a tourist in you own town. My project for the day was long stockings in Sandnes alpaca sock yarn.

I finished an object, a baby jacket in Drops baby alpaca silk. It's real light and very soft. I used some baby jacket pattern to check the number of stitches, but I can't remember the pattern. I knitted the rest of the jacket out of my head how I would have knitted a garment for my self. I hope it is approximately a newborn size to three months size. It's a bit big for the teddy, and that's good. Would be a bit worried if it had a perfect fit for the teddy. I used needles 2,5 mm on the ribbing and needle 3,25 mm on the rest. The jacket weighs 85 g.

After four attempt and frogging, I finally managed to hit the right size, the right gauge, the right number of stitches and knit the patter right. It's a lot of things to remember, I have to say. Sometimes it happens that you get one of them wrong, at least that's what I hear. I started my first attempt when I was at Ullhælj at Løten, but this last attempt I started about three weeks ago. It seems like forever, but it really was quite a fast knit. I used white Arwetta for the pattern and Wollmeise Twin, Unglücksrabe as the main color. The pattern is Rock the Lobster. I followed the pattern until I came to the dividing the arms and yoke. After that I did what I used to do, I knitted how fits my body shape the best. With this sweater I didn't decrease or increase for a waistline since the sweater was already tightly fitted. The arms wasn't decreased before about 10 cm before I cast off either. I knitted extra long arms and ended with 36 rows of ribbing. It's because the sweater has to fit both my girlfriend and myself. The sweater weighs 350 g. I used 31 g of white Arwetta and 319 g Wollmeise. For the ribbing I used 2,5 mm needles and the rest I used 3,25 mm.

The last day in Holland were spent at the side of the pool with a book and knitting. Not a bad day! The knitting for the day was a small baby jacket in Drops baby alpaca. I'm knitting it for a colleague who's going to be a grandmother. In the evening Dutch people light up this small portable wooden oven. Very cosy!

There's many way of traveling. One of them by car. It's not bad traveling by car. Specially not when the high ways are almost empty in Holland and Germany. It goes fast, and when you're a passenger you can knit at the same time. It's not a good way traveling by car when there's road work and you meet all the Dutch cars going on vacation at the high ways in Germany. Then it tend to stand completely still and when you have changed who's driving ... Yup! Then you can't knit either. Another way to travel is by ferry. When we finally arrived the harbor and parked the car onboard the ferry, I found my knitting and we found a nice spot so we could enjoy the nice view. This is a really nice way to travel too.

I have a finishe object. My socks in Regia, Arne & Carlos. I didn't know who was going to get them, but I liked them so much I ended up knitting them in my size. The white heel and white toe is knitted in white Arwetta.

The weather is not as I wished. Since I'm a bit weather sick, I shopped to get me in a better mood. I found this lovely box to store my knitting needles. I have a Namaste bag, but all of my needles don't fit in it and I have a Twilight box, the same problem there. In this box I can put all of knitting needles, and still have room for more. I think I'm going to use this box to store my knitting needles, and the Namaste bag when I travel.

Even though it's no sun right now, we know how to enjoy the vacation. Holland is a beautiful country, and we enjoyed flower decorated bridges, lunch in a lovely old place. And I bought the Go set a watchman by Harper Lee.

Knitting while watching the gorillas. You can see them in the background.

I don't know what kind this guy is, but he walked just in front of us before sitting down here.

This guy sat here watching us standing just in front of him.

Bad weather, but the mood is good. Ok, I'm a bit weather sick, but the bad mood disappeared when we entered Apenheul. Apenheul is a monkey park where a lot of the monkeys walk freely around, something that means you can really watch them up close. Sometimes you can even get a monkey sitting on you. My daughter had a common squirrel monkey on her knee. And even the chimps, gorillas and the monkeys that don't walk around freely feels close due to the way the park is built. The weather cleared up during the day, and we enjoyed a real nice day. I knitted where I could in the park. My knitting project for the day is socks in Arne & Carlos, Regia.

Yesterday was real warm, and the best place to knit when it's so hot, is outside. Knitting in the sun with sand running through your toes, is lovely. When the beach has two big playgrounds that keep the kids busy, it's bound to be a lovely day. I left Rock the Lobster at the cabin and brought a new project. I started another pair of socks in one of Arne & Carlos' color combination. I don't know who gets them yet, but it might be me. I also weaved in the last threads on my miniblanket, pattern from Arne & Carlos. In the evening I rolled away on my skates in the flat landscape of Holland. So lovely with bikepaths. I ended up rolling 14 km.

Today has been grey. Not too much rain, not too cold, but not warm either. It's still a lot to do on a big camping, and we ate lunch with the family. I knitted on my socks in Arne & Carlos, but I should really finish my Rock the Lobster. I might end up knitting on it during the evening. Tomorrow brings rain as well, if the weather forecast is right. I guess that means knitting time as well.

Oh, I love summer! Vacation time, relaxing time, sun time, swimming time, reading time, knitting time. Nicenicesummertime! Everything is better with some sun and warm weather. I can take whatever as long it's summer and the sun is shining and the weather is nice. Nagging kids - it's ok. Forgot bread for breakfast - it's ok, just take a bikeride in the heat. I load my batteries during summer. Today I knitted before breakfast outside in my in-laws garden. Knitting at the pool - the best kind of knitting. Did some reading by the pool side too. Knitting by the little lake in the evening sun during the walk in the evening. You just have to take a walk in the evening at summer. You can't just sit still all evening. Now I'm soon going to knit a bit more out in the garden of the summer house we've rented. Nothing done so far. I have an arm left on the Rock the lobster sweater. It's a slow knit, since I can't bring it anywhere. I also knit a Marius sweater in Drops alpaca on needles 3,25 mm. I've only knitted about 10 cm of the yoke. So far I've read half of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and Britt-Marie was here by Fredrik Backmann. Two books I recommend in two different genre.

It's wifi onboard Stena Line. It jsut doesn't work that well. The only function is to make you mad over being online but not getting anything from the net. On the other hand I read more and had more time to knit. My linnen top in Scarlett is finished. I already used it. I like it. The plan was to take a nice outdoor picture on deck yesterday. That was before the rain started pouring down and then there was the wind. Blogging didn't happen yesterday, due to wifi that didn't work. I don't know how much the top weighs, but some place between 200 and 250 g. It's knitted on 3,25 mm needles. I also finished the Let's Twist dishcloth by Bittami.

Welcome! I'm a yarnhoarder, knittingaddict and a book addict, which the content of this blog prove. I'll be happy if you leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram, I'm strikkeann. I also have a book blog.